Sheet-metal receptor



Sept. 14, 1948. F. H. RICHTERKESSIILJG I 4 SHEET METAL RECEPTOR Original Filed Jan. 14, 1944 INVEN 0R5 Imzwumhmmzwwm 0 B V Flg -3 '%MA Km ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 14, 1948 SHEET-METAL RECEPTOR Frank H. Richterkessing, Louisville, Ky., assignor to Porcelain Metals Corporation of Kentucky,

Louisville, Ky.

Continuation of application Serial No. 518,480, January 14, 1944. This application January 13, 1945, Serial No. 572,656

6 Claims. 1 v

The present application is a continuation of application Serial Number 518,480, filed by Frank H. Richterkessing and Benjamin F. Birdwell on January 14, 1944, and entitled Sheetmetal receptor.

My invention relates to improvements in safety or non-slip floors for bathing appliances and has particular reference to floors for showerbath cabinets.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a floor for bathing appliances having a plurality of depressions or channels therein, which depressions extend substantially from the edges of the appliance to the drain therefor, to provide free drainage of water from substantially all portions of the floor and to provide anti-skid means for the floor. l

A further object of this invention is to provide a floor having a plurality of depressions or channels therein, wherein the bottom portion of each channel is depressed substantially below the surface of the floor at a point remote from the drain and arranged so that the plane of the bottom portion of each channel merges substantially into the plane of the floor at a point adjacent the drain.

Another object of this invention is to provide a safety floor especially suitable for sheet-metal receptors used with bathing appliances known as shwer-bath cabinets.

Another object of this invention is to provide a plurality of depressions in the floor of a sheetmetal receptor, which depressions generally reenforce the floor and permit the use of relatively thin sheet-metal that will not have a noticeable deflection or resiliency under the weight of a person on the floor.

A further object of this invention is to provide a floor in which the depressions are arranged to provide a distinct pattern, wherein the depressed areas are preferably coated with glazed vitreous enamel and the remaining areas of the floor preferably coated with an unglazed vitreous enamel.

A further object or this invention is to provide depressions or channels in a floor which taper in width from a relatively wide-channel remote from the drain to a relatively narrow-channel adjacent the drain so as to provide a wedge-action or anti-skid against slippage.

A further object of this invention is to place the drain substantially central of the receptor with the depressions extendin substantially radially-outwardly from the drain.

Another object of this invention is to provide a floor for a bathing appliance having an anti-skid design or pattern in the floor in which the pattern consists solely of depressions sloping toward and merging into the plane of the sloping floor at a point substantially adjacent the drain so as to eliminate non-drainage spots often encountered in constructions wherein the anti-skid arrangements consist of areas raised relative to the normal plane of the floor.

The advantages of these and other objects will become more apparent as the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a receptor for a shower-bath cabinet;

Figure 2 is a sectionalview taken along lines 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 33, on a greatly enlarged scale of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a portion ofthe section taken along lines 2-2 of Figure 1, shown in an enlarged scale to clearly illustrate the construction and relation of the depressions l4 relative to the floor l0 and drain H, a

Shower-bath cabinets to which the present invention has particular application are rapidly gaining in popularity and the use of sheet-metal receptors having a vitreous-enamel coating has been widely accepted as a very practical and 'economical construction for a shower-cabinet.

However, three problems have been encountered in the design of such equipment; (1) the .slipperiness of vitreous-enamel surfaces; (2) the tendency of sheet-metal receptors to deflect or feel resilient underthe weight of a person; and (3) the free drainage of water to the drain so as to eliminate accumulation of scum and soap stains on the surface which impair the appearance of the receptor and give the general impression of uncleanliness.

Unglazed vitreous enamel has been successfully used to impart non-slip qualities to vitreousenameled receptors and, by employing a special arrangement of unglazed vitreous enamel relative to glazed enamel, the free-drainage of water has been provided for to some extent.

The United States Letters Patent Numbers 2,292,368 and 2,292,369, issued to Charles T. Gordon August 11, 1942, and entitled, respectively, Vitreous enamel bath floor and Method of producing anti-slip surfaces for bath floorsfillustrate such uses of unglazed and glazed vitreousenamel.

However, it is to be noted that these patents provide a vitreous-enamel surface having unglazed portions elevated? relative to the remaining glazed portions of the floor surface. While this arrangement constitutes a marked advance in receptor design, no provision is made for eliminating the deflection and resilient feel of the sheet-metal receptor under the weight of a per son.

The present invention provides a construction that eliminates this objectionable deflection and resilient feel of the receptor under the weight of a person, and further utilizes the construction to provide anti-skid properties and drainage that is free from the non-drainage spots often encountered in constructions having the anti-skid areas raised relative to the normal plane of the floor,

In the following description the expression unl'azed vitreous enamel has reference to enamel surfaces having a dull, matte, or granular surface of the type referred to and described in the aforesaid patents issued to Charles T. Gordon. However, it is to be understood that other non-slip vitreous-enamel surfaces may be employed and other substitutes made without departing from the spirit of this invention.

1n the drawing, the numeral it designates. the floor of the receptor, which receptor has a perimetrical flange l2 projecting vertically therefrom, As illustrated in Figure 2, the floor it slopes generally downwardly toward a central aperture II- that provides a suitable drain outlet for waste laden water.

In Figure 1, the numeral l4 designates depressions or channels formed in the floor 'of the receptor, which depressions preferably have their surfaces coated with glazed, vitreous-enamel [4A. The numeral l3 designate thenormal. or flat portion of the floor of the receptor, which portion preferably has its surface coated with unglazed vitreous-enamel ISA. i

As shown in Figures 2 and 3 the channels it are depressed below the surface 13 of the floor I'll. Further, as illustrated in Figure 2', the channels M slope toward the aperture H and merge into the plane of the sloping floor substantially adjacent the aperture H. Therefore, the ends of each channel remote from the aperture I. are depressed below the flat surface III, while the ends of each channel adjacent the aperture l-l' mergeinto the plane of the sloping floor. Likewise, as shown in Figure 1-, the channels are relatively wide at the ends farthest from the aperture H, while the ends adjacent the aperture H are relatively narrow. This construction of the channels M" provides a wedge action or anti-skid ainst slippage- Thus, it will be apparent that the tapered channels M provide improved anti-skid properties, reinforce the sheet-metal floor, and provide channels for quickly and freely draining the waste water to the drain.- Obviously, since the'channels M are depressed below the surface of the floor l0, non drainage-spots are eliminated entirely.

Also, as shown in Figure 1, the invention refers generaly to the arrangement of the channels" [4 radially relative to the aperture I I, thusproviding symmetrical conditions for the floor. Obviously, merging the bottom of each channel M intothe planeof the floor substantially adjacent the drain, eliminates non-drainage spots at the discharge end of the channels and permits the waste water to discharge freely into drain.

While Figure 1 illustrates the channels as-being rounded at their remote ends with straight sides tapering toward the drain; it is to be understood that the specific shape of the channels can; be

changed without departing from the spirit of this invention, so long as the channels remain depressed relative to the plane of the floor; merge into the plane of the floor adjacent the drain; and become relatively narrow at their discharge end to providethe; aforesaid wedge-action.

Likewise, it is to be understood that although the invention is shown and described in its specific application to a sheet-metal receptor, certain of the features and constructions can be applied generally to the floor of any loathing appliance, and can be embodied in floors made from materials other than sheet-metal. Therefore, it is to be further understood that the invention is not to be limited other than by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A sheet-metal floor for a shower-bath cabinet having a plurality of depressions formed therein, and a vitreous-enamel coating on the upper'surface of the said floor; the outer surface of the vitreous-enamel coating on the upper surface of the depressions having a smooth glazed finish and the outer surface of the vitreousenamel coating on the remaining portion of the door having a finish dull and rough relative to the said glazed finish.

2'. A floor for a bathing appliance having a drain opening, the said floor sloping downwardly towards the drain and having a pluralityof channels therein extending generally in direction of the slope, each channel tapering longitudinally and having its narrow end substantially adjacent the drain with the bottom surface thereof sloping downwardly from a greater depth, in terms of thefloor, adjacent the perimeter to a lesser depth adjacent the drain where said narrow end merges into the plane of said floor.

3. A floor for a bathing appliance having. a drain opening, the said floor sloping downwardly towards the drain and having a plurality of channels therein extending. generally in direction of the slope, each channel tapering in depth longitudinally and having its shallow end substantially adjacent the drain with the bottom surface thereof. sloping from a, greater depth, in terms of the floor, adjacent the perimeter to said shallow end where the latter merges into the plane of saidv floor adjacent the drain.

4. A floor for a shower bath cabinet having a drain opening therein and formed to slope down- Wardly from adjacent its perimetrical edge to the drain, opening, the sloping portion of the floor having. a plurality of shallow, relatively wide and elongated channels depressed below the surface of said sloping portion and arranged radially of said drain. opening, the bottoms of said channels being flat throughout their length and having all portions thereof sloping towards said drain opening,'wherein said channels decrease in. dep h from their outer ends towards the drain opening and merge into the plane of the floor adjacent the drain opening.

5. A floor fora shower bath cabinet having a drain opening therein and formed to slope downwardly from adjacent its perimetrical edge to the drain opening, the sloping portion of the floor having a plurality of shallow, relatively wide and elongated drainage channels depressed below the surface of said sloping portion and arranged radially of said drain opening, said channels being tapered in width substantially throughout their length with the narrow ends thereof located adjacent said drain opening, and the bottoms of said channels being flat throughout their length and tion of said plate having a plurality of shallow, 10

relatively wide and elongated drainage channels depressed below the surface of said sloping panel portion and arranged radially of said drain opening, said channels 'being tapered in width substantially throughout their length with the narrow ends thereof located adjacent said drain opening,

6 and the bottoms of said channels "being flat throughout their length and having all portions thereof sloping towards said drain opening.

FRANK H. RICHTERKESSING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,229,518 Parker Jan. 21, 1941 2,282,362 Johnson May 12, 1942 15 2,286,990 Lehmann June 16, 1942 2,292,368 Gordon Aug. 11, 1942 

